The Ultimate Guide on the Padrón

This is the second article of my series Living in Spain, where I’m going to speak about the well known Spanish “Padrón” which, ironically, most people don’t seem to know about (I used to be one of them).

1.Census, which determines the total amount of people living there, and helps provide the correct services needed in that area. Just a simple case study. You live in an area where there’s a total of 100,000 people. However, only 75,000 thousand are registered on the Padron. How many people do the national government think are living actually there? Yes, 75,000 people. Therefore, the national government will only give funding for that amount of people, which translates into less services (hospital, doctors, local offices, police, etc).

2.Vote, the local office to exercise your right to vote – Spanish people living in Spain must be registered on the padron to vote at a certain office during the election. For instance, I live in Torrevieja. Every time they run elections, either local, national or European, I receive a letter advising where I need to go in order to vote. This is because I’m registered on the Torrevieja padron, where I permanently live.

According to the British Government official website “you can vote in local and European elections as long as you are registered on the Spanish padron”.

I assume that on this basis it must be similar for the remaining EU member states.

BENEFITS OF BEING ON THE PADRON

The main ones I see are:

• More and better public services – I explained this in last section: the less people registered the less public services.

• Spanish residency – you can’t become a resident without being on the Padron.

• Heath care – you can’t get a fully covered Spanish health without a Spanish residency, in case you are a pensioner (I will cover everything dealing with health cards on the article scheduled on Sunday 02/11/2014).

(A very important benefit, isn’t it?)

HOW CAN I USE IT?

A Padron is a complementary document that is used alongside other requirements, like obtaining your:

• Spanish residency

• Spanish driving licence

• Pensioner’s card

• Health card

• School grants and registrations

… and many others.

A padron may be required from certain organisations requesting proof of residence, depending on the situation.

Some places simply accept a utility bill as proof of residency. And by “residency” I don’t mean “Spanish residency”. I’m talking about “local residency”: the house, flat, attached property, villa or bungalow where you physically live.

Don’t take for granted that they will accept your utility bills: ask them first. Requirements can differ very much from one town to another, even within the same organisation or department.

• As part of your car’s log book (I have seen this once in person. The padron has nothing to do with the vehicle documentation).

As I mentioned previous paragraphs, a padrón is just a document to legally prove where you live.

WHERE DO I GET A PADRON?

Simply go to the town hall of the area where you live and ask them. That’s all.

There aren’t any “national requirements” to obtain a padron.

I have read several “reputed” websites that state you should bring this or that. It does not work that way in Spain.

Believe me. I’m Spanish and I’ve been dealing with the local and national administration since 2010.

Town halls are independent entities, and each one has its own rules.

In Spain local regulations can change completely from one town to another just a few miles away.

Totally guaranteed.

You will definitely need your original passport and at least one photocopy. Then, you might need to show them the real link to that property: rental contract, title deeds, etc. Some town halls require you to be resident, others don’t.

In short, go in person and ask them. It is my best advice. Even if a friend of yours who registered on the padron a few months ago could be wrong now, as requirements can change overnight.

(You might have to queue to get your Padron depending on the town hall)

DO I NEED TO RENEW MY PADRON?

This basically depends on the town hall. Ask them at the time you get registered.

In the area where I live, because it’s a place with a big concentration of expats, they send letters every now and then to go to the town hall and confirm that you still live here.

Otherwise, they may have many people (thousands) on the padron that in reality are not living here anymore.

However, for numerous official procedures, like to get your Spanish residency or change the driving licence into Spanish, amongst many other, it is required that you padron is not older than 3 months.

I’ve seen some exceptions where they have accepted old padrons, but I would not try it. If you need to apply for an official document, go to the padron office and request an updated copy.

Comments

Hello ,,,i am a non eu resident,,,can you advice me what is the procedure to get spainish residence through employment contract procedure in spain specifically place like valencia,,what are the requirement in detail please

Hi David, I own a house in Spain and am here most of the time, this week I went to the town hall to renew my padron and the lady there said if I live here I must become a resident. I told her I am not here permanently and she said in that case I am not entitled to be on the padron. Is this the case? Obviously I need a padron to get my temporary sip card. She said I will be taken off the padron in the next 2 months.
Any advice will be greatly appreciated.
Many thanks
Tony

It’s usually that way. If you don’t become resident after three months, they could remove you from the padron. And many town halls will not print out new padron certificates after the three-month window.

Great articles, and well written. Regarding the Padron, I have heard that should only get one if Spain is your main home because there are tax implications. I.e., you have to file tax returns in Spain. Can you shed light on this ‘rumour’ please.

Well, I’m not a tax expert at all, but I think the tax status changes with you become a resident, not just by the fact of getting on the padron. I might be wrong, so it’d be a good idea to double check with a legal adviser.

Hello there I’ve read recently in the local papers that we need to renew our pardon for the purpose of our health care here in torreviejia, I have been to the town hall last in February 2016 and got a new one to get my sip card. Do I now need to get another one ? Or will this cover me for five years ??
Regards Alan

My friend and her husband live in Mojacar , Andalusia. If she does not renew her Padron would she risk being taken off medical care. Both she and her husband have resedincia and are currently registered at the local medical centre.

Been in the same rural house for many years but I’m now told by Crevillente town hall that they will not put us on the Parton because our house is ‘irregular’; I guess that’s a more polite word for illegal. According to the town hall It can be regularised by using an Architect, Solicitor and paying 4 years backdated Suma,(the latter I suspect is really what it’s all about). I’m probably going to end up going down that road but my big worry is my family’s health care. I pay my Autonomo every month (self-employed), so we are entitled to use the Spanish health system but legally can’t use it because I’m not on the local Parton. Can’t be right can it?
What do you think, David?

This sounds like a unique case I’ve never had before. In the past, I’ve heard about stopping the health services for not being on the padron, but never on a person who’s autónomo.

My recommendation is that you try to fix the house part as soon as possible, and not to worry about the health assistance much at the moment, as you’re paying your autónomo fees every month. If they stop the assistance at the health centre, go to the social security office to get the official certificate, and take it to the town hall to ask for any documents for the health centre while everything gets sorted.